And I Thought I Loved You Then
by sunnyprincessbird
Summary: Eugene watches Rapunzel sleep one night on her birthday and thinks over their relationship and the news she had for him. Fluffy little one-shot!


**A/N: Hello all! So I had this sitting on my laptop for a while, and decided to post it :) Just a cute little one-shot songfic thing, based off of Then by Brad Paisley.**

**If you must know, I don't own Tangled. I super wish I did, though. Aaand, I don't own Then by Brad Paisley, which is sad, since it's so adorable :(**

Eugene smiled down at the beautiful girl in his arms as she shifted in her sleep. It was the night of the fifth time they'd seen the lanterns released for her together, and his lovely princess had had something to tell him.

Something he wasn't expecting in the least bit and wasn't prepared for.

Well…it looked like the Fitzherbert family was about to become a threesome.

And he might've or might've not freaked out and accidentally tipped the boat over when he found out.

Eugene moved his hand to her stomach and rubbed it gently. He'd only found out about the kid a few hours ago, but he already loved it so much.

He kissed Rapunzel's short, slightly damp hair, breathing in its scent and closed the book in his lap. When they'd gotten back, she'd insisted that he read the baby a Flynn Rider story ("After all," she'd said, "It is my birthday.") in the library. Settling down in his lap, she'd fallen asleep before he could finish the story. But that was okay. Birthdays would do that to you, he guessed. Especially when you're the formerly lost Princess, and the whole kingdom throws a huge celebration for your birthday.

He remembered the second time he and Rapunzel had seen the lights together, when Rapunzel had insisted that she, Eugene, Rose, and Wilson stay up all night the night before her birthday, because if she went to sleep, she'd "wake up older". So, they'd spent the night playing games in the castle, gallivanting through the forest, catching fireflies, watching stars, and eventually they fell asleep a little before sunrise. That night, after he and Rapunzel watched the lights, they'd fallen asleep out on the gondola.

Which was not the not the best idea.

Apparently, the King had seen them from the castle (How he did that, Eugene will never know. Maybe the King had stupendous, superhuman vision or something). So, given the fact he was Rapunzel's father, the King decided it would be fun to go out there and scare Eugene half to death.

And it had worked.

Eugene laughed at the memory.

Speaking of memories, there was something he'd need to do.

He pulled out a leather-bound book from under a cushion from the window seat he was leaning against. Stitched in colorful thread on the front of the book read, "My New Dream". Inside held drawings and a few narrations of his and Rapunzel's adventures since he met her.

He'd given the book to Rapunzel as a wedding gift, and each time they had an adventure that they felt like recording, it ended up in the book. He was going to have to add tonight's events to it, and he was sure that over the next few months – well, the rest of his life, really – this baby was going to give them some interesting adventures to include in the book.

He opened the book and looked at the first few pages. First was the story of how they met, how she got to see the lights, and how their dreams became each other.

_I remember trying not to stare_  
><em>The night that I first met you<em>  
><em>You had me mesmerized<em>

Ah, yes. The first time they met. He was tied to a chair with her ridiculously long, blonde hair, and she was coming after him with a frying pan, trying to look threatening. Of course, when she stepped into the light, all he noticed was that she was beautiful. Rapunzel told him later how ridiculous he looked, mouth dropped, staring at her like that. Though he wouldn't admit it to her, he believed that he probably did look ridiculous.

And then that night. He hadn't even known her for twenty-four hours yet, but he could already tell he was falling for her. He tried to tell himself that it was crazy, that it wasn't true, that Flynn Rider didn't fall for girls. But deep down, he knew he couldn't lie to himself. Regardless of what Flynn Rider did or didn't do, Eugene was starting to see her in a whole different way.

_And three weeks later_  
><em>In the front porch light<em>  
><em>Taking 45 minutes to kiss goodnight<em>  
><em>I hadn't told you yet<em>  
><em>I thought I loved you then<em>

Next was the story of how they got her back home, and after that were random little adventures they'd had together after Rapunzel's return. One in particular caught his attention.

After knowing her for a few weeks, he'd told her he'd loved her before several times, but there was something he'd realized that he hadn't done yet.

Rapunzel loved reading the fairytale books in the library. Almost all the stories had beautiful girls or princesses and charming princes.

He'd apologized on their way to the kingdom for not being a prince. Rapunzel was a princess, and she deserved much more than a common thief. But she told him that she didn't want him to be a prince, that she loved everything about him and their story exactly how it was.

But he figured since Rapunzel was a princess, he should do something to make her feel like one.

So, exactly three weeks after her eighteenth birthday, he stood outside her window, throwing pebbles until she came to it, screaming, "I'm in love with you!" It was pouring down rain, he could've easily been caught and be in big trouble for seeing Rapunzel in the middle of the night, but he didn't care. It happened all the time in fairytales (and those guys didn't even have the stealth abilities he had), so why couldn't he do it?

After she'd seen him and had come out, he'd climbed up the side of the castle, up to her balcony. They'd stood there forever in each other's embrace, kissing, dripping wet, in the middle of the night, in the middle of the rainstorm.

But he didn't care. Because he loved her. More than he could've ever imagined.

_Now you're my whole life_  
><em>Now you're my whole world<em>  
><em>I just can't believe<em>  
><em>The way I feel about you girl<em>

_Like a river meets the sea_  
><em>Stronger than its ever been<em>

_We've come so far since that day_

Eugene couldn't believe how far they'd come since the day they met. First, she was hitting him over the head with a frying pan, interrogating him, and forcing him to take her to see the lanterns. So, he'd tried to be rid of her. But by the end of the day, he'd realized he'd started falling for her. And two mornings later, he loved her enough that he was willing to die for her. And after that, by some miracle, he'd returned her to her family, who welcomed him, he'd been allowed to marry her, and now, they were having a baby.

_And I thought I loved you then _

Next in the book was another very important event.

_I remember taking you back_  
><em>To right where I first met you<em>

_You were so surprised_

On her twentieth birthday, he'd decided: He was going to propose. The whole Royal family had been coaching him for weeks prior to her birthday, but he was still a nervous wreck. He knew he wanted to marry her, and everyone had assured him that she would say yes, but what if she didn't? Or what if he completely blew it?

Regardless of his fears, he was going to do it.

So, that morning, he took her to the tower. He'd assured her when they left two years before that they would come back, but they'd just never found time.

The rest of the day, they retraced their steps from their first-meeting adventure, and that evening by sunset, they'd ended up on the boats, waiting for the lights.

_There were people around_  
><em>But I didn't care<em>

He knew there were people watching them that night on the boat. It seemed as if everyone's favorite pastime was to stalk the Lost Princess and her beau and ask when they were ever going to get married. Sheesh, it had only been two years, you'd think people could be patient.

But he didn't care. He was going to do it, and make it one of the most special moments of Rapunzel's life.

_I got down on one knee right there_

He'd hidden the heirloom ring that the King instructed he use inside a lantern. He'd never forget the look on Rapunzel's face when she peeked in and saw the ring. When she looked up at him, he was on one knee, somewhat nervously telling her how much he loved her, and finally asking her to marry him.

_And once again_  
><em>I thought I loved you then<em>

And the best part? She'd thrown her arms around him, screaming, "Yes!" and tipped the boat over in her excitement.

How could he possibly love this girl any more than this?

_Now you're my whole life_  
><em>Now you're my whole world<em>

She truly was his whole life and world, and in more ways than one. Yes, she had brought him back to life with her magical tears, but she was more than that to him. It was like his world revolved around her. He would do anything, absolutely anything for her.

_I just can't believe_  
><em>The way I feel about you girl<em>

The way he loved her really amazed him. A few days before he met Rapunzel – even the day he met her, he would've never dreamed he'd love a girl enough to die for her. Everything had hit him off-guard, and before he knew it, he realized that Rapunzel was his new dream, and that nothing else mattered.

_Like a river meets the sea_  
><em>Stronger than its ever been<em>

And even though he thought he could never love her more, every day he was proved wrong, and his love for her got stronger.

_We've come so far since that day_  
><em>And I thought I loved you then<em>

_I can just see you  
><em>_With a baby on the way_

Eugene looked down at Rapunzel's sleeping form. It made him smile to think about it. He could just see how Rapunzel's belly would swell into a round ball in a few short months. And it would have their baby inside of it. And of course, a gorgeous baby at that. With a beautiful mother like Rapunzel and a father like him with superhuman good looks, that kid was sure to be adorable. He knew Rapunzel would be a wonderful mother. He'd been sure of that since the day she told the village children their story and an image of the two of them playing with children together had flashed through his mind. He could already see her cuddling the little bundle in her arms, rocking it to sleep every night…oh, Rapunzel was going to make an amazing mother.

_I can just see you  
>When your hair is turning gray<em>

He knew he wanted to grow old with her. To watch all those kids they were gonna have grow up. He could picture it now. And Rapunzel was still just as beautiful as she was that day when she stepped into the light, clutching her frying pan, her seventy feet of blonde hair trailing behind her and tying him to a chair.

_What I can't see  
>Is how I'm ever gonna love you more<em>

How was it even _possible_ to love Rapunzel more? He loved her more than anything, more than life itself.

_But I've said that before_

Eugene smiled. That was also true. He'd always thought he could never love her more, but he was always proved wrong.

_Now you're my whole life  
>Now you're my whole world<br>I just can't believe  
>The way I feel about you girl<br>We'll look back someday  
>At this moment that we're in<br>And I'll look at you and say,  
>"And I thought I loved you then"<em>

"Hey, you still awake down there, Baby?" He asked her belly softly.

Apparently getting a satisfactory response, Eugene continued.

"I want you to know something," he said, "I love your Mommy _very_ much. I don't know how I could ever love her more. She's my whole world. I couldn't live without her. And look at you, now we've got someone else to love. You wouldn't really be around if it wasn't for us two, you know." He said, smirking and lightly rubbing Rapunzel's belly with his finger.

"But anyway," he continued, "Now I've got you to love! And I love you a lot. Already. I know, crazy, isn't it? I've only known about you for a few hours, and I don't know what you're gonna look or be like or if you'll be a boy or girl. But me and your Momma love you. And don't you ever forget it."

Eugene looked at Rapunzel, who was still asleep in his arms.

"I love you, Blondie." He whispered into her ear. "Have I ever told you that?"

He smiled to himself, knowing full well he'd told her a million times.

"You are going to be the best mother in the world. I know it."

He flipped the pages of the book in his lap until he came to the one of the first time they'd seen the lanterns together, smiling.

"Oh, Blondie," he whispered, "_And I thought I loved you then_."

**A/N: How did you like it? Review and tell me! I felt like it could've been better, but oh well :) Review!**


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